Over the past four years, Stony Brook, Vermont and Albany have dominated the America East (AE). During that time, those three teams were responsible for every regular-season and conference title. This year, however, the graduation of star talent has the potential to shake up the conference.

“I think the bottom half of the league is much better,” said Albany head coach Will Brown. “I think maybe you had some teams that were a little bit young a year ago, they’re a year older now, a year more mature, a year hopefully better. So I think there will be more balance in the league.”

Now-graduated forward Jameel Warney helped Stony Brook to two regular-season titles in four years. He was a three-time AE Player of the Year and nearly averaged a double-double per game over the course of his career. In Warney’s final season, Stony Brook finally won the conference championship, playing in March Madness for the first time ever.

After the season, former Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell left for Rutgers. He was replaced by Ohio State assistant Jeff Boals. With a new coach and three of five starters gone, the Seawolves are likely to give up their place as perennial contenders for the AE title.

Even with the loss of key players, Vermont and Albany remain leading candidates to win the conference this season. New Hampshire, led by junior forward Tanner Leissner, is set to be their primary challenger. Throughout the AE, there’s a sense that the conference is tighter than it has been in the past.

Pipe Dream’s Predictions

Vermont will return to the floor this season with the core of its lineup largely intact. Four starters from last year’s squad will take the court again for the Catamounts in 2016-17. In his sixth year as head coach, John Becker will attempt to guide the Catamounts to their first AE Championship since 2012.

For the Albany men’s basketball team, the end of its 2015-16 campaign might have felt like the end of an era. Now, with the 2016-17 season looming, the Great Danes are on the hunt for a new top dog.

For the Wildcats, the story of this season will be whether they can break through and get the chance to compete for the AE title. This year, they have all the pieces to make a run at the title.

In recent seasons, Binghamton has been regarded as a dark horse with the potential to prove itself. So far, it has failed to do so. But for Dempsey and his Bearcats, there now exists a real sense that the chaotic cloud hovering overhead has finally faded. BU may be ready to turn the corner at last.

The 2015-16 season was everything Stony Brook wanted it to be, but that year is over. This is the first year of the next era of the Seawolves, and they don’t plan on giving up their title without a fight.

This team will be a tough matchup for any AE foe simply because of the way it scores the basketball. Although they have been predicted to finish in the bottom half of the conference, the River Hawks have proven they should not be overlooked.

UMBC was chosen sixth of nine teams in the AE preseason coaches’ poll. If the Retrievers can meet this prediction, it will mark their highest finish since 2012.

While Hartford’s roster is young, it has a solid nucleus around which it can build. Seven of the Hawks’ 12 players are sophomores, two of whom are redshirt sophomores.

Even before the season begins, the odds are stacked against the Maine Black Bears. After going 8-22 in 2015-16, the Black Bears were picked to finish last in the 2016-17 America East (AE) preseason poll.